Michigan basketball takes down No. 22 Xavier to win Fort Myers Tip-Off title

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Wolverines are bringing home some hardware for the holiday.

Thanks to a pair of big performances from big men Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin, Michigan knocked off No. 22 Xavier, 78-53, in the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship game Wednesday at Suncoast Arena.

Wolf had 20 points – 16 coming in the first half – and 10 rebounds, and Goldin scored 18 for Michigan (6-1), which trailed for a total of 13 seconds en route to its first win over a ranked opponent this season.

After controlling the first half in a game that had the feel of an NCAA Tournament matchup, Michigan maintained a firm grasp on the lead, even when its 11-point halftime advantage shrunk to single digits early out of the break.

Wolf finished a lob from Nimari Burnett at the rim. Tre Donaldson (13 points) splashed two 3-pointers. The defense tightened up and strung together stops. Michigan pushed the lead to 53-38 with 14:01 to play.

The Musketeers tried to make a push and pulled within single digits three more times, but they were met with an answer by Michigan at every turn. When Zach Freemantle (14 points) hit a hook shot to cut the deficit to eight with 7:18 remaining, the Wolverines responded with a possession where Will Tschetter won a battle for an offensive rebound that led to a second-chance 3-pointer by freshman L.J. Cason.

Cason’s deep ball kick-started a 16-0 game-sealing run that featured eight points from Goldin. The big man threw down thunderous dunk with 1:45 left that sent Michigan on its way to its first early-season tournament title since 2019, when the Wolverines won the Battle 4 Atlantis during former coach Juwan Howard’s first year at the helm.

Ryan Conwell scored 19 and Marcus Foster 10 for Xavier (6-1), which shot 34.5% from the field and had 19 turnovers.

The game featured an intriguing matchup between the frontcourts, with Michigan’s size with a pair of 7-footers and Xavier’s smaller lineup that could space the floor.

Goldin and Wolf gave Michigan the edge in the early going, as the Wolverines jumped out to a 10-4 lead. The two big men provided all the offense, with Goldin and Wolf each knocking down a 3-pointer. For Goldin, it was his first made 3-pointer and first attempt from deep in his college career.

Xavier ripped off a quick 8-0 run to grab a two-point lead that lasted all of 13 seconds before Wolf snapped the spurt with his second 3-pointer.

After Goldin picked up his second foul and headed to bench midway through the half, the offense continued to chug along, the defense clamped down and the Wolverines rattled off a 19-3 flurry over a six-minute stretch.

The run started with a string of 12 unanswered points that Wolf had his fingerprints all over. During one possession, he grabbed two offensive rebounds before draining a corner 3-pointer. Then during another sequence, Wolf scored on a driving layup and helped force a shot clock violation on the other end, contesting a mid-range shot that was airballed.

After Xavier banked in a 3-pointer, Michigan kept pushing. Wolf found Burnett cutting along the baseline for a reverse layup. Roddy Gayle Jr. splashed a 3-pointer in transition. Michigan pulled ahead 38-21 with 4:22 left in the half.

Xavier threatened to cut the deficit to single digits with a late 3-point barrage, but Wolf capped his sensational 16-point half with his fourth deep ball to give Michigan a 41-30 halftime advantage.

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